COMMUNICATION RISK OF STAKEHOLDERS IN PREVENTING FOREST AND LAND FIRES IN RIAU PROVINCE

Riau Province is one of the prone areas of forest and land fires in Indonesia. Fires in Riau have occurred since 1997 and peaked during the period of 2014 to 2015. Since that time, the government and other stakeholders had begun to change the paradigm of forest and land fire prevention, from preventing to handling. This study aims to analyze the communication process among stakeholders in preventing Karhutla (Forest and Land Fires) in Riau Province. The study was conducted by using qualitative methods through semi-structured interview toward 14 informants representing government communication roles, forestry and palm oil industries, researchers, NGOs, mass media, and The Fire Care Community (Masyarakat Peduli Api/MPA). The results of the study explain that all stakeholders have responses that fire intentionally caused by individuals and organized groups on open land, corporate land and community land. The planning and implementation of risk reduction are performed through various communication channels such as Karhutla Task Force, direct communication and media usage, especially WhatsApp, mass media and social media. In general, communication in expert modules is still dominated by government and minus researchers, while in public; the role of stakeholders is almost equal.


B. Method
This research is designed using qualitative methods by examining the meaning of individuals or groups that are perceived as human or social problems by creating a comprehensive and complex picture presented in words, reporting the views which are obtained from detailed information sources in the natural setting. Qualitative researchers collected the data in the field with sensitivity to the people examined, and studying data inductively to initiate patterns or themes (Creswell, 2007).
This qualitative research aims to gain an in-depth understanding of a problem (Denzin & Lincoln, 2005).
The study was conducted in Riau Province from December 2016 to August 2017. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews of forest and land forest fire communication roles in Riau by using a risk communication process model (Leiss, 1994, Leiss & Chociolko, 1994, industry, researchers, mass media, and society (general and specific). The Data triangulation has done by completing interviews with field observation and secondary data from various institutions. The collected data were processed and analyzed by using interactive model data analysis consisting of three steps: data condensation, data presentation and conclusion / verification (Miles et al., 2014).

JIP-The International Journal of Social Sciences {183
C. Research Finding

Perception of Problems Source of Karhutla
Perception is the essence of communication, because it deals with the interpretation of meaning or explanation of information. Stakeholders have their respective perceptions of the causes of Karhutla in Riau. Karhutla in Riau is caused by many factors, all of which refer to human behavior both directly and indirectly. The immediate cause is human's combustion intentionally or unintentionally. The intentional action is performed to the clearance of agricultural land and plantations. The unintentional is usually executed by the anglers in the river or canals around the prone-area. Furthermore there is the cultivator who made the campfire, then forget to turn the campfire off until it causes a fire.
One of the most prominent facts is the large number of open access land namely the used land of concession of tenure rights (HPH) which is abandoned after its concession period, until it is controlled by the encroachers. Illegal land tenure by them is considered as "legitimate" because they receive the legality of the village head, urban village head or sub-district head. The encroachers are generally the investors (local term: cukong). In Riau, there were also many cases of local indigenous land sales by local leaders to migrants.
The government contends that the climate in Riau is not the cause of fires naturally. According to BMKG Riau, it has an equatorial climate type, therefore a fire and smoke disaster from other regions will lead to Pekanbaru and even penetrate to neighboring countries such as Singapore and Malaysia. BBKSDA Riau also believes that the most influencing factor to Karhutla incident is human behavior. In addition, the condition of peat soil in Riau caused the fire more deteriorative. The fires on community land are generally occured only as small spots.
When every Karhutla occurs in Riau, it usually corporations often blamed as the perpetrators, especially corporations related in forestry and plantation sectors. But forestry corporations refute. According to them, the burning of land is detrimental, because the burned wood can not be used as pulp. Palm oil corporations argue that Karhutla is caused by human NGO says that the main problem of Karhutla in Riau is in the upstream sector, i.e. the monopoly of forest area by forestry industry (HTI) and oil palm plantation ccorporations. Monopoly occurs because environmental governance and forestry have never been regenerated by the government. Other problems are related to tenure conflicts in Riau, especially in open access land which is dominated by the brokers of plantation and the encroachers from outside Riau. NGOs affirm that the main cause of Karhutla is because of human factors, environmental and natural resource factors. The most common cause is the clearing of plantation land by corporations, the brokers and the community.
The researcher finds an "invisible hand", namely persons or corporations playing beyond the scenes in cases of forest and land burning. They are unknown, but then with money, someone can pay others to burn, and then promote the land in unidentified ways until it comes to buyers. Burning is often performed for land clearing for oil palm plantations. The perpetrators of land burning involves corporations and communities, which the community itself is divided into two small farmers who work on the land of about 2 hectares and the brokers who have hundreds to thousands hectares of land. Corporations and the brokers are usually organized the fires.
The mass media explained based on facts observed in the field, that the cause of Karhutla in Riau is because of deliberately burned action. There are two possible fires perpetrators, i.e. companies and society. But it might also the company ordered the people to do the burning. The result of their investigation finds many fires occurred in the company's concession areas and open access areas owned by the elements of capital owners from various groups. But fires may also happen on community land.
MPA explains the fire that happens in the village mostly occurs due to farmers; they do the small-scale burning. In the fields, farmers usually do the weeds whacked and clear bushes then, collect and burn it. The problems arise when the farmer leaves and forgets to extinguish the fire. As a result, within 3-4 hours, especially in peat lands, fires will extend. Because of the characteristics of peat lands, even though there is no fire on the surface, however under the surface there is still a lot of fire. Besides of farmers, the unintentional perpetrator fires are the anglers who are fishing in the peat canals that create fire to keep mosquitoes away.

Communication Process in Karhutla Impact Assessment
The potential for environmental impacts has not been widely studied by government agencies, particularly at the regional level. BMKG has never conducted an assessment of environmental damage due to Karhutla, but sees the economic impact on airlines due to limited visibility. BPBD also does not have the roles and functions to assess the environmental damage caused by Karhutla, until it does not handle the damage after the occurrence of Karhutla. While BBKSDA measuring the damage within the conservation area, outside conservation is the authority of the Karhutla Task Force.
The damage caused by Karhutla is being concerned to the corporation as it relates to its business activities. According to the RAPP, the burned land leads to reduction of the nutrients or organic elements, and then when it is managed, it requires additional treatment with consequences of taking extra costs. Gapki Riau and Asian Agri mentioned that the palm oil companies experienced severe disadvantages due to Karhutla. Short-term losses experienced by the corporation if there is a burnt garden area. While long-term smog will reduce the production significantly because it interferes with the activity of oil palm pollinating insect Elaeidobius kamerunicus. NGO views the environmental damage caused by Karhutla in Riau, where is in concession area or industrial forestry and palm oil company area. Those areas were mostly occupied by the brokers, inside of protected forest areas, conservation, national parks and wildlife sanctuaries. Jikalahari obtains information on the potential impact of direct Karhutla from the community and conducts investigations in the corporation area. The results of the investigation data are then reported to the local government, KLHK and law enforcement. The data are also published through website on jikalahari.or.id, Facebook Jikalahari, twitter @_JIKALAHARI_ and Instagram @jikalahari.
Researcher assesses that the environmental damage caused by Karhutla is very expensive. For example, the extinction of invaluable biodiversity species like microorganisms and unidentified certain species. The damage cannot be recovered. Other environmental effects are the loss of water sources and centers of the peat domes in various places. Even today, the world's researchers have not found yet a method of calculating the peat damaged by Karhutla. In the environmental damage study, the researcher communicates by collecting data from the community and conducting FGD activities. The data are then informed to the government.
The mass media considers the environmental damage occurring continuously due to lack of pressure to the government and corporations. The media usually collects environmental damage data directly from the field as well as from governments, researchers and NGOs. Investigations are conducted in fire locations, especially in corporate areas and open access lands. The results of the investigation are reported in the form of radio coverage broadcast on the Kantor Berita Radio (KBR) network through out Indonesia. Not only being broadcasted via radio about the coverage of Karhutla, but it is also broadcasted live streaming and the news script is published on portalgreenradio.com website. The socioeconomic impacts of Karhutla are: (1) the demise of the economic activities of the people which is directly adjacent to the fire area; (2) disruption of social and trade activities in urban areas due to haze; and (3) health problems, especially ISPA.
According to the MPA, the biggest environmental impact of Karhutla is on oil palm plantations owned by local people. In the long-term, the burnt fields that may turn into shrubs or wild grasslands will potentially be burnt again in the dry season. Villagers with burnt areas run into direct socioeconomic impacts. Economic and educational activities of villagers have significant disruption during the event. The greatest economic impact is perceived by the owner of the garden whose land is burned by losses due to the destruction of the main source of income.

Communication Process in Karhutla Risk Reduction Planning
The government has a risk reduction planning program through the establishment of the Karhutla Task Force. BMKG explains that Karhutla risk reduction can be accomplished if the information submitted is properly implemented by related parties. BMKG is the first party providing information on Karhutla risk reduction through current weather conditions messages distributed in WhatsApp, Twitter, Instagram and Facebook groups. Such information is used as a basis for preparing ready status in regencies and cities. Intensive communication of the government is usually performed by post Karhutla Task Force at Airfield of Roesmin Norjadin Pekanbaru. Although the task force has been disbanded, the discussion continues through WhatsApp.
Corporations have risk reduction policies through sustainable forest management policy monitored by governments and other stakeholders. Gapki performs risk reduction by emphasizing members to not to be involved in case of fire. One of them is going through the certification program of Indonesian Sustainable Palm Oil (ISPO) and Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO). Risk reduction is also performed by the Asian Agri through the Free Fire Village Program (FFVP) which is an MPA empowerment program in the villages around the company; villages that are able to prevent fires less than 0.5 hectares will receive incentives. The program is designed by the corporation through direct communication with villagers and local government. NGO Jikalahari explains in the context of Karhutla risk reduction, there are three important aspects that must be handled: (1) improving the governance of environment and forestry; (2) reducing company monopoly especially on the peat area; and (3) resolving tenure problems such as the conflict tradition with corporations, local community conflicts with corporations, and government conflicts with the brokers in conservation areas. NGO YMI plans a risk reduction activity through village community assistance with the goal of realizing a recovering village. The program aims to improve production and consumption capabilities by preventing peatland fires as a source of livelihood.
Researchers of PSB-UR and CIFOR encourage community awareness through MPA empowerment activities in Karhutla prone-areas. The volunteers are community companion for the prevention of Karhutla by prioritizing the social capital of the community. Bottom-up communication is by listening to people's aspirations as a basis for implementing activities, rather than simply banning the burning without solutions. Funding activities obtained by researchers from the government and funding from abroad. Communication in the implementation of activities is through the approach of village elite groups and directly to the community.
Green Radio argues that Riau is the "heart" of complex environmental issues. Therefore media is needed to help improving environmental conditions through its role as a source of information, education and social control to reduce environmental destruction and law enforcement related to environmental issues. The media may perform a pressure for the authorities in carrying out the regulation, as well as overseeing the corporation in performing its business functions in order to be "pro" to the environment. Media communication activities are conducted through an editorial policy that focuses on environmental reporting.

Communication Process on Implementation of Karhutla Risk Reduction
The government performs Karhutla risk reduction activities through the Karhutla Task Force. Task force of various government agencies, every day monitors the hotspots and fire spots. BMKG describes the implementation of risk management for prevention of Karhutla based on the recommendation of its agency through information since the beginning of the dry season as the initial step of anticipating Karhutla. BMKG information is continually updated via Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and delivered via WhatsApp. In the field, BBKSDA, through

190}
Manggala Agni, conducts an integrated patrol involving MPA, Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI), and Indonesian National Police (POLRI). If the number of hotspots increases, the patrols will be more intense. The Manggala Agni team is equipped with Smartphone to monitor the movement and performance monitoring.
Gapki reduces the risks through early warning using circular communication, appeal, and forwarding government information to its members. In addition, it examines the risk reduction of fire fighter patrol and operates the Fire Danger Rating System (FDRS) in the company and village area around the company. Asian Agri in particular is coordinating with MPA crew leader for socialization of Karhutla prevention. Coordination is performed through WhatsApp Group (WAG) "Desa Bebas Api Asian Agri" consisting of crew leaders who are given incentives every month. Meanwhile, RAPP cooperates with NGO Blue Green Foundation and NGO Rumah Pohon for raising awareness to not to burn the land and encourages the strengthening of economic resilience and community food security.
NGO Jikalahari undertakes risk reduction activities through regular investigations from 2013 to 2016 and reports 49 companies to Ministry of Environment and Forestry and Riau Police. Then it reports 20 companies to the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), 19 companies reported to Peat Restoration Agency (BRG) to enforce the law, both administrative, civil and criminal. In addition, Citizen Law Suit (litigation lawsuit) is along with several components such as Indonesian Forum for the Environment (WALHI) Riau, Rumah Budaya Siku Keluang, Malay Customary Institution (LAM) Riau, and legal team. YMI undertakes risk reduction activities through village assistance and identification of potential fire through mapping sources of areas at risk of fire.
Mass media makes efforts to prevent Karhutla through the delivery of information to the public. Green Radio conducts news activities on air, on line and off water. On-air and on-line activities examine media functions, while off-air builds networks and crosschecks the field. The running off-air program is an expedition to collect data and facts in the field. The idea of finding the cause of Karhutla is accomplished through discussions with the government. Green Radio runs regular-daily, environmental news programs and special Mahogany programs are twice a week. When there is a heavy smoke haze, there is an additional program named "Perangi Asap" in the form of direct reports from the field that appears every 15-30 minutes in the form of breaking news.
Researcher launches the risk reduction programs through community assistance in collaboration with other institutions, especially government and NGOs. Activities include community empowerment, socialization and MPA training. Communications with the community are conducted through various joint activities such as the creation of a canal bloc and the management of agricultural land. The activity is conducted in the form of learning together with the community to solve Karhutla problems in the village.
The implementation of Karhutla prevention activities by MPA is performed through patrols or roving guides. Every patrolling member is required to socialize to the people they meet to not to do combustion. MPA members are also equipped with extinguishers to turn off the small scale fires. If MPA members experience obstacles in their outages, immediately they will contact Manggala Agni and BPBD to assist the extinguishing process. In vulnerable conditions, MPA also requests the assistance of the village government to deliver warning information to not to burn the land to the residents.

D. Discussion
The practice of Karhutla prevention in Riau is executed in two quarters, namely expert quarter with the formation of Karhutla Task Force. While in the technical quarter, the implementation involves the community as the spearhead of prevention of Karhutla in the fire prone-areas. Communication among stakeholders is performed through the Karhutla Task Force forum involving government, military, police and corporations. Other stakeholders such as corporations, researchers, mass media, NGOs and MPAs are less involved. The Karhutla Task Force in Riau is formed at the time of Emergency Karhutla in Emergency Condition, the status issued by the Governor after at least two districts / cities set the alert status. By 2017, the Riau Provincial Government established the Karhutla Emergency Standby from January 23 to April 27, 2017, then it extended again until 30 November 2017 in consideration of the potential dryness of the El Nino effect during the dry season within this period.

Figure 3. Fire prevention messages and FDRS boards in Desa Segati
The establishment of the Task Force is based on Governor Regulation (Pergub) Riau No. 1 of 2015 on Permanent Procedures of Forest Fire and Land Fire Control in Riau Province. The regulation states that the control includes pre-disaster, during disaster and post disaster. Risk reduction a position is in pre-disaster period includes prevention and mitigation and preparedness. However looking at the status of Karhutla Emergency Alert is only executed when the incident is more susceptible to the role of the Karhutla Task Force in the event of disaster. While the function of preventing Karhutla has not been performed in an organized manner especially in safe period, by improving the source of the problem.
Communication in Task Force forum is performed through WhatsApp channel , an instant messaging application, allowing users to send and to receive messages in the form of text, photos, audio, video, location, links and contacts. WhatsApp also provides the WAG forming feature for users who want to communicate in groups. WhatsApp is currently a popular app because it can be installed in Android apps, iOS, BlackBerry, Symbian and Windows Phone, thus it gives convenience for users with different devices. Karhutla Task Force forum uses this application in the form of Task Force WAG as well as small groups such as Land Task Force, Air Task Force, and so forth.
The use of the WhatsApp app as a formal communication channel is an interesting finding, as communication between stakeholders, especially government agencies, has penetrated bureaucratic barriers identical to traditional channels of communication, such as direct audiences or official letters. Stakeholders from government elements reveals that through WAG messages can be quickly received and responded by all group members. This condition is important to be considered in the standby condition of Karhutla so that fire prevention can be accomplished as early as possible to reduce the risk of Karhutla. Interestingly, the use of WAG is also performed to the community level because MPA also has a WAG for internal communication and WAG for communicating with other stakeholders. The receptiveness of communication in Karhutla risk reduction is important to accelerate the resolution of the problem. Because according to Höppner et al. (2012), the focus of risk communication lies in structuring dialogue and deliberations among stakeholders to enable mutual understanding in solving problems. The focus is on dialogical two-way communication between actors such as experts, decision makers and key stakeholders. It also explicitly seeks to involve the community in an interactive communication process.
Although the communication of Karhutla prevention in Riau has been executed better, but there is still communication gap between the communication in expert quarter and in public quarter such as which Leiss (1994) and Leiss & Chociolko (1994) brings to the communication actors involved such as government institutions, industry, research institutes, media, and society. Communication in expert quarter involves actors from government, industry and research institutions. While in public quarters, it involves government actors, mass media and society. The most prominent communication gap occurs in expert quarters with less involved research institutions in Karhutla risk reduction. The most dominant communications actors in the expert quarters are government agencies including elements of TNI and POLRI. For the case, in Riau, researcher actually more comes into the public quarter by doing assistance to the community.

E. Conclusion
Some Karhutla's stakeholders in Riau have perceptions that Karhutla is due to human behavior that carries out intentional combustion and a small number of unintentional cases. The perpetrators comes from various parties, either individually or organized groups in open access, corporations and communities. The impacts of environmental damage that are assessed and addressed are most of the environmental impacts of deforestation, land degradation and crop damage. Socio-economic concerned issues are the disruption of business activities, especially aviation, the destruction of the economic resources of the community and the disruption of educational activities.
The communication of Karhutla risk reduction is examined through stakeholder internal communication, FGD between stakeholders, mass media, social media, WhatsApp and WAG, and the socialization of one stakeholder to other stakeholders. Risk reduction activities in the field are held through direct socialization, circular communications, mass media broadcasts, social media campaigns, interactions in WAG, use of Android apps, and litigation.
Researcher sees the prevention of Karhutla in Riau newly coordinated in hazardous conditions or during a disaster through the formation of Karhutla Task Force so that stakeholders need to build communication on mitigation aspects. Especially, communication to address the upstream problems such as environmental governance and forestry, corporate expansion in peatlands, encroachment of conservation areas, and tenure problems which cause land conflicts as one of the root causes of fire problems.
In general, communication on expert quarter is still dominated by the government. The role of researchers in the expert quarter has not been accommodated by the government therefore the researchers do more technical activities and assistance in the field. Though ideally, researchers have a strategic role in the expert quarter in order to provide scientific ideas to reduce the risk of Karhutla. We recommend that the expert quarter, especially through the Karhutla Task Force forum discusses the cycle of disaster of Karhutla starting from prevention and mitigation efforts by involving all stakeholders. The implementation of Karhutla risk reduction can not only be dominated by certain stakeholder groups but it needs to involve all stakeholders to the level of the site.